Chapter 272: Destruction

Two or three years.

Qin Sang nodded lightly. That was more than enough time for him to carefully consider his options.

Most importantly, he could use the time to restore the Nine-Dragon Heavenly Chariot Talisman, gaining an additional layer of protection.

As they spoke, the Spiritual Bamboo Flying Boat continued its relentless journey through the underground terrain. Suddenly, Wandering Man’s eyes lit up, and he raised a hand to point ahead.

"Brother Qin, look over there!"

Qin Sang followed his gaze and noticed a faint crack in the circular barrier, which extended toward a tributary ahead.

They weren’t yet near the location of the stone stele, but it was clear that the circular barrier had more than one weak spot outside the trial space. By sheer luck, they had stumbled upon one.

Since the subterranean upheaval began, the ground vibrations had grown increasingly violent, and the barrier had taken more and more damage. It was natural for weak spots to develop cracks first.

Although they might not find the trial space, encountering a weak spot was an opportunity they couldn’t afford to miss. Without needing a reminder, Qin Sang understood Wandering Man’s intentions. He immediately adjusted the Spiritual Bamboo Flying Boat’s direction, steering it along the crack into the lava tributary.

Fixing his gaze on the crack, Qin Sang eventually traced it to its endpoint.

At the end of the hair-thin fissure, a thumb-sized opening appeared. The circular barrier glowed intensely as its protective forces attempted to mend the breach. However, the constant shockwaves destabilized the barrier, preventing it from recovering and causing the opening to widen.

Above the opening, the ground had also fractured into a fissure due to the shockwaves.

Qin Sang and Wandering Man exchanged glances and spoke in unison.

"It’s worth a try!"

The Fire Spirit Beasts were relentlessly pursuing them, leaving no time to wait for the breach to collapse on its own. As they approached the opening, both took action simultaneously.

The ebony sword emerged from Qin Sang’s forehead, releasing an array of sword qi before concentrating its power into the blade itself.

Wandering Man, on the other hand, summoned an emerald-green orb about the size of a dragon’s eye. The orb was crystalline and transparent, with flashes of wind and lightning swirling within. Yin and yang alternated as if a miniature world were evolving inside it.

The moment the orb appeared, Qin Sang felt a faint sense of oppression, which left him inwardly astonished.

This feeling was one he had only experienced with astra-level treasures like the Heavenly Sound Conch and the Heavenly Blade Talisman. Although the oppressive force from the orb was far weaker and couldn’t compare to an actual astra, it still spoke volumes about the orb’s extraordinary nature.

Clearly, the orb was a top-grade artifact, on par with the Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions.

It seemed that Wandering Man’s many years of roaming had borne fruit. Although he hadn’t been able to cure his hidden injuries, his gains were substantial. Both the Spiritual Bamboo Flying Boat and the orb were remarkable artifacts.

"Go!"

Wandering Man shouted, and the orb streaked forward, trailing an azure light as it smashed into the opening.

Not to be outdone, Qin Sang immediately commanded his ebony sword to follow suit. The two weapons struck the circular barrier simultaneously. As Qin Sang had anticipated, the orb’s power was comparable to the Yan Luo Banner of Ten Directions, surpassing the ebony sword by a significant margin.

Rumble!

The combined impact of the orb and the ebony sword caused the barrier’s power at the opening to waver, leaving it temporarily stagnant.

The pause was brief, but it was enough.

The Spiritual Bamboo Flying Boat transformed into a streak of light and shot through the opening in an instant. Behind them, the pursuing Fire Spirit Beast lost track of Qin Sang and Wandering Man’s auras and gradually calmed down.

The ground fissure was wide enough for people to pass through. Retrieving their artifacts, the two ascended through the fissure.

"What a treasure!"

Qin Sang glanced at the orb, his eyes gleaming with admiration as he offered a compliment.

Wandering Man’s face paled slightly, and he gave a wry smile. "This Flawless Orb is indeed my greatest asset. Unfortunately, it consumes an enormous amount of power. It’s like a monster that devours spiritual energy. Each use leaves my Qihai nearly drained. Honestly, it’s far less convenient than your ebony sword, Brother Qin."

…

Finally, they escaped to the surface.

The moment Qin Sang emerged from the ground, the scene before him took him aback.

They were situated southwest of the stone stele, equidistant from both the stele and the peaks. From this vantage point, the prominent stone stele was clearly visible in the distance.

A sharp, acrid odor filled the air.

The western sky had undergone a complete transformation, now dominated by a fiery crimson hue.

The earth was riddled with fissures, from which lava surged upward, erupting into the sky before spreading outward.

The flame-like barrier had already been torn apart. Beneath the shattered barrier, countless mountain peaks had either toppled or collapsed, their remains disintegrating alongside the ground. They were now surrounded by an endless sea of lava, forming isolated islands.

Within the lava, countless Fire Spirit Beasts could be seen rising and sinking, making it seem as though the ancient cultivator’s estate were about to become their domain.

Even more shocking was the sight of the four peaks tilting. Two of them had already collided, and half of their structures had crumbled.

Qin Sang recalled the initial tremor he had felt and glanced at the peak where Sikong Muyue had descended.

Could that be the source of the upheaval?

But that wasn’t all. Qin Sang noticed that the space within the ancient estate itself seemed to be collapsing. Around the four peaks, one could visibly see black lines forming in the air, stretching across the void. Some of these black lines extended hundreds of zhang, and whenever lava or a Fire Spirit Beast came into contact with them, they would vanish into thin air.

They resembled the legendary spatial rifts!

Qin Sang drew in a sharp breath. Despite the fierce battle between Di Que and Daoist Master Xuanyu, they hadn’t managed to shake the totem barriers in the slightest. Yet now, this ancient ruin that had endured for so long was suddenly on the brink of annihilation.

Could it be that the place has already been teetering on the edge of collapse, and we were merely the final straw that broke the camel’s back?

"Brother Qin, we must leave quickly to avoid being caught in the destruction," Wandering Man said calmly, far steadier than Qin Sang. He pointed toward the distant ground and urged.

The fissures on the ground were spreading outward at a pace visible to the naked eye. Occasionally, sections of the earth arched upward before being violently torn apart, only to be flooded by lava and overrun by Fire Spirit Beasts emerging from below.

The already struggling vegetation faced its ultimate demise.

At this moment, everyone was converging toward the stone stele that marked the exit.

Near the stele, a few figures hovered in mid-air, having arrived first and were now observing the situation.

To the west, streaks of evasion light could be seen racing through the sky in desperate flight. Some were fast, others slower, but thankfully, the number of Fire Spirit Beasts emerging from the ground was not yet overwhelming, so even those lagging behind weren’t in immediate danger of being surrounded.

Qin Sang hesitated briefly before saying, "Senior, you should go ahead. There’s a small matter I need to take care of."

"Junior Brother Qin, be careful. The barrier’s collapse will only accelerate," Wandering Man reminded him without prying further. He then controlled the Spiritual Bamboo Flying Boat and flew toward the stone stele.

Watching Wandering Man’s silhouette disappear into the distance, Qin Sang pondered for a moment before vanishing in a flash. However, instead of heading toward the exit, he quietly moved westward for a short distance, eventually hiding along a path everyone would take on their way to the stone stele.

One streak of evasion light after another passed overhead as magma and Fire Spirit Beasts drew closer.

Qin Sang remained completely still.

Only after the last streak of evasion light had passed—and there was still no sign of Ren Hong—did Qin Sang finally make his move.